Covid-19 deaths in England and Wales have risen to the highest level since the first wave of the disease amid government warnings that the virus could be more deadly in the UK than previously thought.
The National Statistics Office said on Tuesday that the death toll from the disease had risen nearly 20% to 7,245 in the week ending January 15. This is the third highest toll of the pandemic. The deaths in London, which are at the center of the current outbreak, are for the second consecutive week more than 84% higher than the five-year average.
Death number
Coronavirus deaths in England and Wales rose 20% last week
Source: Office of National Statistics
The UK’s death toll from Covid-19 is 100,000 this week, and hospitals are close to capacity. Daily infections have begun to decline in the country in a severe exclusion, while a rapid explosion of vaccines for some care hope that the peak passes.
- The total deaths in England and Wales were 30.5% above the five-year average.
- Deaths involving the virus accounted for 40.2% of all deaths in England and Wales during the week – the highest percentage recorded
- Nearly 90% of all deaths involving Covid are recorded as the underlying cause, compared with 7.2% for those who mention flu and pneumonia